Popular Engagement and the Master Plan of Fortaleza: reflections on Social Movements and the Right to the City

Abstract

This article discusses the disputes involved in urban planning, focusing on the review of the Fortaleza Participatory Master Plan, which began in mid-2019. This paper analyzes how the process exposes the conflict between the interests of real estate capital and popular demands for the right to the city. It starts from the understanding of urban space as a product of social and political relations. Based on participant observation, documentary analysis, and bibliographic review, the tensions and challenges of social participation throughout the review are identified, which intensified from 2022 onwards following mobilizations by popular movements. Our considerations highlight that the master plan, provided for in the 1998 constitution and regulated by the city statute, must guarantee social participation. In Fortaleza, however, the process was initially conducted without transparency, which motivated the articulation of the Popular Field of the Master Plan. The review faced obstacles such as inaccessible technical language and decisions that favor the real estate market. The limited role of the public authorities as a mediator aggravated the contradictions. The mobilization of social movements reaffirms the role of civil society in the fight for a more just and democratic city.